Method and means for locking and releasing in succession a load moving inside a channel



Aug. 6, 1963 B 100,029

LEO METHOD AND NS FOR LOCKING AND RELEASING IN SUCCESSION LOAD MOVING INSIDE A CHANNEL Filed Oct. 1, 1957 INVE/VTGR vj I 7 BZRTRAND LEO AT RNEYS United States Patent 3,100,029 METHOD AND MEANS FOR LOCKING AND RELEASING IN SUCCESSION A LOAD MOVING INSIDE A CHANNEL Bertrand Leo, Paris, France, assignor to Electricite de France-Service National, Paris, France, a national French organization Filed Oct. 1, 1957, Ser. No. 687,422 Claims priority, application France Apr. 30, 1957 Claims. (Cl. 187-76) The present invention has for its object a method and means for locking and releasing in succession a load moving inside a channel, and it is more particularly applicable to the case of channels the axes of which are vertical or form an acute angle with a vertical upwardly directed line. The channel in which the charge moves may be of any type.

According to the invention, the actual movement of the load associated with that of gravity provides for the alternating shifting and locking of the load.

In a preferred embodiment of said method, the movement of the load leads to the cooperation between a movable member rigid with the load, whether directly or indirectly, and a stationary member rigid with the wall of the channel.

An arrangement for executing said method includes therefore chiefly means for shifting the load inside the channel, at least one movable member rigid with the load either directly or indirectly and a stationary member located at the point of the channel where it is desired to hold the load (fast, said stationary member being adapted to cooperate with the movable member so as to bring the latter alternatin-gly into its locked and into its released position.

Further features of the invention will appear upon reading the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings given by way of example and by no means in a limiting sense and wherein:

FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate in longitudinal sectional views the arrangement according to the invention in successive stages of operation.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of a modification.

In the embodiment illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1 to 4, the movable load is connected with or carried by a support 1 moving inside the channel 2 under the action of any suitable means, for instance under an upward thrust of a piston rod A or a similar arrangement and the downward force of gravity.

The load support 1 carries one, two or more movable pivotal members such as 3 and 4 revolubly fitted over the corresponding horizontal spindles 5 and 6, each of said members 3 and 4 including two arms forming an angle with each other as shown at 7 and 8 for the member 3 and at 9 and 10 for the member 4. Consequently, when each of said members is subjected freely to the action of gravity, the arms 7 and 8 for instance drop to either side of the vertical line passing through the axis of the corresponding spindle 5.

'In this embodiment, the stationary member is constituted by two groove sections 11 and 12 [formed by the inner wall 13 of the channel 2. These two grooves are located at a short distance from each other and their depth is such that a movable member such as 3 may enter its position of equilibrium under the action of gravity when the support 1 enters a position facing one of said grooves.

The arrangement which has just been described operates as follows: The pivot 1 is first moved upwardly ing valve D connected to a source of such pressure media (not shown), the movable members 3 and 4 reach a position registering with the lower groove 11 and enter their position of equilibrium under the action of gravity.

If it is desired to hold the load fast in such a position, it is suificient reversing valve D exhausting the pressure media from below piston C withdrawing piston rod A from contact with support 1 as shown in FIG. 2 to allow the support 1 to drop slightly under efiect of gravity in the direction of the arrow 1 so that the outer arms 7 and 9 of the members 3 or 4 may abut against the lower surface 14 of the groove 11 and against the wall of the channel 2 so that the member 1 may be locked with the corresponding load carried by it.

If it is then desired to make the load move, it is sufficient to give in succession an upward movement by the piston A to the support 1 and then let said support drop. During the rising movement thus imparted to the support, the members 3 and 4 are released from engagement with the wall of the channel 2 and are urged inwardly by said wall in its section 15 between the grooves 11 and 12. 'Ihese pivoting members 3 and 4 are again urged inwardly into their collapsed position by the wall of the channel above the upper groove 12 and their upward movement is not limited. During their downward movement, illustrated in FIG. 4, the pivoting members 3 and 4 return when in register with the (groove 12 and under the action of gravity into a position similar to that occupied with reference to the groove 11 before engagement by the walls of the channel as shown in the direction of the arrow F of FIG. 1 by the upat 3a and 4a. This being done, the arms 7 and 9 on the sinking members 3 and 4 engage the groove 12, which under the action of the downward movement produces a [rocking of the pivotal members 3 and 4 whereby the arms 8 and 10 of the latter enter the lower groove 11 as shown at 3b and 4b. A further rocking produced through the lower surface 14 of the lower groove 11 causes the pivotal members 3 and 4 to return into their original locked position illustrated in FIG. 1. When the support 1 has reached the position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 4, nothing prevents a further lowering of the support 1 inside the channel 2. Under the action of gravity, the movable members return into the position illustrated in 'FIG. 1 and they are consequently ready to operate when the support 1 is subsequently raised.

As an example of one use of the prevent device, channel 2 can be one channel of an atomic pile with support 1 being utilized as a platform for introducing and removing material through said channel into and from said pile. It is to be appreciated, however, that the channel 2 can equally as well be a part of other devices.

The embodiment which has just been described is obviously only an example to which various modifications may be incorporated without unduly widening the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

In particular the movable members may include three arms in which case the channel would be provided with three superposed transverse grooves. Similarly [the shape of the channel in cross-sectional view is irrelevant and so is the number of movable members, said number being provided as a function of the diameter of the channel on the one hand and of the weight of the load on the other hand.

If the channel is provided with a gap, it is obvious that such a gap will operate as support holding means in the same manner as the above described groove 11; in order to prevent any untimely holding fast of the load, it is suflicient to provide underneath said gap a groove if the movable support carries pivoting members with two arms and, generally speaking, as many grooves as the pivoting parts carry arms minus one.

It is also obviously unnecessary for the grooves to be provided throughout the periphery of the channel. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the latter'may be provided with at least one longitudinal groove such as '16 inside each of which is fitted an extension 17 of the movable sup-v port 1, while a movable member 18 is pivotally secured round a horizontal spindle 19 carried by said extension for cooperation with teeth such as 20 provided in the bottom of the cooperating longitudinal grooves.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a vertically extending channel through which a load is to be moved, means for alternately locking said load in position in said channel and releasing same, comprising a load carrying support positioned in said channel capable of moving longitudinally thereof and downwardly in said. channel under the force of gravity, means for shifiting said support upwardly longitudinally of said channel, at least one movable member pivotally connected to said support for freely pivoting about an axis extending transversely to the axis of said channel, said movable member having a plurality of arms extending radially [from said member axis, said channel being provided with at least one wall having a plurality of spaced transverse grooves in the area in which the load is to be retained with each groove of a depth for receiving one of said arms when said member is in a position facing one of said grooves and said movable member being positioned slidably contacting said wall for having said arms enter said grooves as said load support is shifted thereby for alternately locking said load support in position and releasing same.

2. In combination with a vertically extending channel through which a load is to be moved, means for alternately locking said load in position in said channel and releasing same, comprising a load carrying support positioned in said channel and capable of moving longitudinally thereof and downwardly in said channel under the force of gravity, means for shifting said support upwardly longitudinally of said channel, a wall defining said channel having at least one longitudinal groove therein, said support having at least one radial extension, a member pivotally mounted on said sup port extension and positioned within said wall groove, said member having radially extending arms, a cam, surface positioned in said wall groove in registry with. the area in which said load support is to be locked and said cam surface being capable of cooperating with said movable member arms to bring the same in succession,

into a load support locking and into a load support releasing position.

3. In combination with a vertically extending channel through which a load is to be moved, means for alternately locking said load in position in said channel and releasing same, comprising a load carrying support positioned in said channel capable of moving longitudinally thereof and downwardly in said channel under the :force of gravity, means for shifting said support upwardly longitudinally of said channel, at least one movable member pivotally connected to said support (for freely pivoting about an axis extending transversely to the axis of said channel, said movable member having a plurality of arms extending radially (from said member axis, said channel being provided with at least one Wall having a plurality of spaced transverse grooves with the number of said grooves being equal to the number of arms on said movable member, said channel wall grooves being in the area of said channel in which the load is to be retained with each groove being of a depth for receiving one of said arms when said member is in a position facing one of said grooves and said movable member being positioned slideably contacting said wall for having said arms enter said grooves as said load support is shifted thereby for alternately locking said load support in position and releasing same.

4. In combination with a vertically extending channel through which a. load is to be moved, means for alternately locking said load in position in said channel and releasing same, comprising a load carrying support positioned in said channel and capable of moving longitudinally thereof and downwardly in said channel under the force of gravity, means for shifting said support upwardly longitudinally of said channel, a wall defining said channel having at least one longitudinal groove therein, said sup port having at least one radial extension, a member pivotally mounted on said support extension and positioned within said wall groove, said member having radially extending arms, a rack mounted in the bottom of said groove in registry with the area in which said load support is to be locked and having as many teeth as there are arms on said movable member and said rack being capable of cooperating with said movable member arms to bring the same in succession into a load support locking and into a load support releasing position.

5. In combination with a vertically extending channel through which a load is to be moved, means for alternately locking said load in position in said channel and releasing same, comprising a load carrying support positioned in said channel and capable of moving longitudinally thereof and downwardly in said channel under the force of gravity, means for shifting said support upwardly longitudinally of said channel, a wall defining said channel having at least one longitudinal groove therein and a transverse gap, said support having at least one radial extension, a member pivotally mounted on said support extension and positioned within said wall groove, said member having radially extending arms, a cam surface positioned in said well groove in registry with the area in which said load support is to be locked and said cam surface being capable of cooperating with said movable member arms to bring the same insuccession into aload support locking and in a load support releasing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VERTICALLY EXTENDING CHANNEL THROUGH WHICH A LOAD IS TO BE MOVED, MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY LOCKING SAID LOAD IN POSITION IN SAID CHANNEL AND RELEASING SAME, COMPRISING A LOAD CARRYING SUPPORT POSITIONED IN SAID CHANNEL CAPABLE OF MOVING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND DOWNWARDLY IN SAID CHANNEL UNDER THE FORCE OF GRAVITY, MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID SUPPORT UPWARDLY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CHANNEL, AT LEAST ONE MOVABLE MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT FOR FREELY PIVOTING ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE AXIS OF SAID CHANNEL, SAID MOVABLE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF ARMS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID MEMBER AXIS, SAID CHANNEL BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED TRANSVERSE GROOVES IN THE AREA IN WHICH THE LOAD IS TO BE RETAINED EACH GROOVE OF A DEPTH FOR RECEIVING ONE OF SAID ARMS WHEN SAID MEMBER IS IN A POSITION FACING ONE OF SAID GROOVES AND SAID MOVABLE MEMBER BEING POSITIONED SLIDABLY CONTACTING SAID WALL FOR HAVING SAID ARMS ENTER SAID GROOVES AS SAID LOAD SUPPORT IS SHIFTED THEREBY FOR ALTERNATELY LOCKING SAID LOAD SUPPORT IN POSITION AND RELEASING SAME. 